Time and Time Again

The Paul Motian/Joe Lovano/Bill Frisell partnership dates back nearly a quarter century, and the three principals have since reached the pinnacle of their profession. Despite their individual successes, the trio has reconvened regularly, their telepathy and group awareness only deepening over time. Together, they have mastered the art of understated abstraction: The music retains its beauty and splendor even as it makes room for free expression; it retains its power and impact though it rarely rises above meditative tones. Drummer Motian contributes seven original compositions that range from mysterious and introspective (“Cambodia,” “Wednesday”) to gently bubbling and bright (“In Remembrance of Things Past,” “K.T.”), but all of them are fairly reflective in nature. The trio also covers Lovano’s avant-leaning “Party Line,” along with Thelonious Monk’s slyly wending “Light Blue” and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “This Nearly Was Mine,” which finds the group at its most delicate. Lovano (on tenor) and Frisell (on guitar) show once again that they are masters of tone and taste — the lucid, sparkling sound of their instruments at least as important as the lines they’re playing. At this point, Motian feels no need to “anchor” the group in any traditional way, making for a dazzling, versatile trio that’s highly refined and light on its feet, but never insubstantial.